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Indonesia summons UK envoy over coral reef destruction

This photo taken on March 4, 2017 shows the Caledonian Sky, a British-owned cruise ship which smashed into pristine coral reefs causing extensive damage in Raja Ampat, a remote corner of Indonesia known as one of the world's most biodiverse marine habitats.
Raja Ampat in eastern Indonesia has long been a top attraction for intrepid travellers and avid divers, home to palm-fringed islands surrounded by an underwater kaleidoscope of coral and fish.

Raja Ampat in eastern Indonesia is one of the most biodiverse marine habitats on Earth, and attracts intrepid travellers and divers to its palm-fringed islands surrounded by coral and fish.

The accident happened this month when the 4,200-ton ship smashed into the reefs at low tide around Kri, one of hundreds of small islands in Raja Ampat, after taking tourists on a bird-watching expedition.

The boat, which was carrying 102 passengers and 79 crew, was grounded on the reefs and only refloated later on a high tide. Numerous attempts to free it using a tug boat failed, causing further damage to the corals.

The incident in West Papua province infuriated the government, who say the British captain could face criminal charges, while marine researchers believe it will take decades and cost millions of dollars to restore the corals.